Ritual Circles

Rituals are carried out within a ritual circle. This is a place of power where the barrier between the world and the void is greatly weakened or broken. Theflow of raw and uncontrolled magic that comes through these areas is blocked by the shielding effect of the ritual circle. This shielding normally fills the gap or weak area in the barrier and prevents the void from flowing through, which would have terrible consequences for anything or anyone in the area. When a ritualist begins a ritual, he seals the circle. This creates a magical ward from the circle up to the shield high overhead and then opens the shield, leaving the circle vulnerable to the void. This funnels the power of the void down into the circle and prevents those outside of the sealed area from coming to any harm. Ritualists must then focus this power as they and their contributors draw it into themselves. Unsealing the circle restores the overhead barrier and then opens the sides of the circle. The order, in which a circle seals or unseals, cannot be changed. A ritual circle will always seal its sides before opening the shield that protects it from the void and will always replace the protecting shield before it unseals its sides. There are ritual circles all over Erdreja; many are active but many more are inactive or have been lost over the centuries and these can sometimes be rediscovered and reactivated.

Transport circles

Transport circles are very much like ritual circles, however they are less powerful. By opening the barrier on a transport circle a ritualist may transport himself and any followers within the circle to any other ritual circle or transport circle in the world. A transport circle cannot be sealed shut like a ritual circle therefore transport circles cannot be used to perform rituals. Anybody with the skill ritual magic can activate a transport circle, or transport from a ritual circle and no contributors are required to do this. If a ritualist attempts to transport to a sealed ritual circle he will be bounced to the nearest transport circle or unsealed ritual circle. A maximum of sixteen people (fifteen and the transporting ritualist) may use a transport circle at any one time.